season!of!advent! winter!2014! seasons’of’ourlives’ · season!of!advent! winter!2014!...

Season of Advent Winter 2014

Seasons of our Lives St. Paul’s United Church Newsletter

Upcoming Services

St. Paul’s United Church 30 Main Street South, Brampton, ON L6W 2C4

905-‐‑451-‐‑1405 www.stpaulsbrampton.on.ca [email protected]

Interrupted by Hope “Hope is the remembrance of the future” ~ Terrence Real

I just read "ʺJust a Dream,"ʺ a children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. Beautifully illustrated and wonderfully told, the story is about how each person can make a difference to the future, starting from today. Walter, the child in the story, realizes this truth through his dreams. The Christmas story, the story of the birth of Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph, is also a story of how each person can make a difference to the future. Two ordinary people in Palestine dared to dream beyond the norms of their time. Mary, a young woman, pregnant and unmarried, believed that her child was loved by God and that God'ʹs love is unlimited. Joseph trusted the angel of his dream and did not abandon the pregnant Mary, his betrothed. In Van Allsburg'ʹs story, young Walter connects with wisdom within him through dreams. In the end, Walter is interrupted by hope and he plants a tree to remember the future. By birthing Jesus, Mary dared to embody her dream that all are God'ʹs beloved. She, too, was interrupted by hope.

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“To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven”

Ecclesiastes 1:3

November 30 10:30 AM

Remembering Violence Against Women

December 7 10:30 AM

White Gift Sunday

December 14 10:30 AM

Children’s Bell Choir


Lessons & Carols Service led by the Senior Choir

December 24 7:00 PM

Christmas Eve Family Service

December 24 10:00 PM

Christmas Eve Communion Service


Baptism and Joint Service with Grace United Church

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I am grateful that St. Paul'ʹs community and I have made the choice to minister together. Our first Christmas together will be an invitation to a time of dreaming together the possibilities of embodying and enlivening God'ʹs unlimited love for us and for our neighbours near and far. How can we together make a difference in our neighbourhood and in the world? How can we reach out to one another? What would help us make a difference for the future? This Christmas, may we be interrupted by hope and choose to make a difference in all the places we are called to care for. Peace, Richard

Rev. Richard C. Choe Minister

Rev. Wilma Cade

Volunteer Associate Minister

Iain Morrison Music Director

Tina Robinson

Church Office Administrator

Jack Drew Church Officer

The Staff of St. Paul’s United Church

“I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year. And thus I drift along into the holidays – let them overtake me unexpectedly – waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: ‘Why this is Christmas Day!'ʹ”

~ Ray Stannard Baker, American Author & Journalist

Hope is a Star Hope is a star -‐‑ so beautiful on a clear night, so distant and wonder filled. From ancient times, stars have guided wanderers across the vast expanses of our planet. Hope is like a star.

What we hope for says much about a person. Of course, we hope for happiness and security, for health and good relationships -‐‑ for our loved ones and ourselves. As Christians, we join our Jewish friends in hoping that the Day of the Lord will come, the day of Shalom when there will be peace and justice, righteousness and prosperity. Jesus taught that when we pass through death we will be with him in paradise. This is our hope.

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The theme for the first Sunday in Advent is always hope. We reflect on the difficulties of this life, the problems in our world, the discouragement that we sometimes feel. As Christians we know that God is much greater than all our troubles. John'ʹs Gospel begins with the ringing declaration:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”

We read these words and trust and hope that they are indeed true. Paul in his letters places hope with faith and love as one of the three great gifts. (1 Corinthians 13:13) As we grow in faith, we grow in trust and hope.

To keep things in perspective – the Jesuits say that we should work as if everything depends on us and pray as if everything depends on God!

There is an ancient Celtic prayer that says:

“As the rain hides the stars, as the autumn mist hides the hills, as the clouds veil the blue of the sky, so the dark happenings of my lot hide the shining of your face from me. Yet, if I may hold your hand in the darkness, it is enough. Since I know that, though I may stumble in my going, you will not fall.”

Wilma Cade

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From the Organ Loft Ahh, it’s getting close to Christmas. It’s a time when many of us spontaneously sing Christmas songs and carols, like Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Away in a Manger, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, etc. It’s interesting to me because apart from the Happy Birthday Song, it seems to be the only time when we as a culture seem to be able to sing something together spontaneously. Sure we all sing O Canada or maybe the Blue Jays’ theme song, but those are usually scripted and planned. Maybe its because we all don’t know the words to Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. The other thing I notice is that there is little public singing of Silent Night before or after December. That is reserved for the quiet, reflective moments close to the time of Christ'ʹs birth, like Christmas Eve or at our lovely gatherings with friends and family.

Singing in a group is a marvelous thing. People are single minded with one goal -‐‑ to sing the song together, and for those who sing and those who really listen, there is an emotional response of some sort. That’s why I love working with the choir so very much and that’s also, I think, why we love to sing together at Christmas. We all long for peace, joy, love and hope. When we sing about those things together, it is comforting and encouraging for all of us to know that we are not the only ones in the world who pine for such outcomes. It is something we can do as one large body of people regardless of age, orientation, language (Silent Night is sung in over 100 languages) or what house of worship we frequent. I think that one of the gifts of Christmas is unity and reconciliation. We sing as one. The words and the music bring us together. What a wonderful gift God has given us. Have a merry and blessed Christmas everyone! I’m off to practice. Iain Morrison

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Children and Youth Ministry St. Paul’s United Church enjoys and desires an intergenerational congregation experience. An integral part of our mandate is to provide relevant and meaningful Christian education for our children and youth. Presently, this is an area where leadership is needed and we feel the need is urgent. Jennifer Kerr and Sharon Morrison met with Richard Choe on November 4th resulting in a proposal that was presented to Council on November 11th. Council passed the motion for St. Paul’s to hire two contract teachers to work 5 hours a week and provide Children and Youth Ministry. We had room in the budget to accommodate the cost, which will be approximately $10,000 annually.

Ministry and Personnel will be initiating the job posting process and arrange interviews with the candidates. If you know anyone who might be interested in applying for a position, please ask him or her to contact Neil Robb at [email protected] or they can contact the Church Office. We are ideally looking for post secondary graduates to work with the children and youth ages 6 to 13.

We also need people who are interested in volunteering in the Toddler room. This would be a great opportunity for high school students who are required to complete their community volunteer hours. For the Toddler age group, there would not be as much structure and preparation; a story time with a craft and game/music would be expected and resources would be made available to help with planning. Anyone interested in volunteering in this way should contact Sharon Morrison at [email protected]. To quote Richard, we are hopeful that we will build a foundation for our children that will foster their faith.

In preparation for Advent, Jen Kerr has volunteered to prepare Christmas music with a hand bell choir comprised of children ages 8 and up. She is meeting with them following church from November 16th to December 7th to prepare for a performance on Sunday, December 14th. Children may join at any time. Don’t miss it!

“Christmas, my child, is love in action.” ~ Dale Evans (1912-‐‑2001)

Council Members Rev. Richard Choe

Minister

Rev. Wilma Cade Volunteer Associate Minister

David Hymers Chair of Council

Mary Sarginson Presbytery Representative

Elizabeth Ward Treasurer

David Maynard Bookkeeper & Adult Education

Jan Hymers Worship Ministry

Laurel Del Genio Congregational Care Ministry

Molly Ramnarine Mission & Outreach Ministry

Ron Prendergast Property & Trustees

Cathy Robertson U.C.W.

Doug Bryden Men’s Fellowship

Peter Cade Finance Ministry

Sharon Morrison Communication Ministry

Neil Robb Ministry & Personnel Ministry

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Council Greetings This fall saw a very busy and vibrant St. Paul’s. There were multiple weddings, our Fall Sale, the Christmas Bazaar, Roast Beef Dinner, as well as Rev. Richard’s Covenanting service, and the Time and Talent Auction. This is in addition to the meaningful Sunday services and multiple other activities that happen in our church on a daily basis as we minister to the needs of our congregation and our Brampton community.

This season of Advent also promises to be a great and meaningful time. Our Mission and Outreach Ministry is collecting gift boxes for the homeless shelters, an initiative that has been ongoing for the past 24 years. These boxes provide some much needed items to people who have nothing and includes the message that they are not alone. The Caring and Sharing Program is also in full swing, and many thanks to those who are participating in helping to give struggling families some joy this holiday season. The Worship Ministry is planning wonderful services and our Senior Choir, and Emmaus Road will be contributing to the beauty of the season with their gifts of music.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you during our Season of Advent Celebration and wish to extend to everyone in our Congregation, from the tall to the small, a very merry, happy, healthy and blessed Christmas time.

David Hymers

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-‐‑

time.” ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

UCW Report The ladies of St. Paul’s enjoy fellowship in their group meetings and in their very successful Fundraising events. Now, you may wonder what is done with the monies raised from our two special sales in the Spring and Fall, our Christmas Bazaar and our Catering for Funeral Receptions. The main recipient is St. Paul’s General Fund, and we pay for any kitchen related expenses. Annually we support St. Paul’s Benevolent Fund, St. Paul’s Security and the following Charities: the Massey Centre, the Fred Victor Mission, Family Life Centre, Women’s Inter Church Council and Camping Opportunities for Youth.

The Sharon Unit does not meet as a group, but its members are on call and support all our major projects. The Debora unit meets regularly throughout the year on the third Thursday of each month in the Four Seasons room. New members are always welcome. Cathy Robertson is Chair of our UCW and she would welcome any inquiries about our meetings and our projects.

Lynda Bryden

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Ministry Reports Ministry and Personnel Report

What we have achieved since January 2014:

1. The annual collection and review of the goals and objectives for Church staff has been completed. 2. We are in the process of revamping our document and filing system to a location in the church to

make it more complete, more secure and provide easier access for all M&P Committee members. 3. The M&P Committee is taking the lead in the church to implement Bill 168 that was passed into law on

June 15th, 2010. Bill 168, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act deals with violence and harassment in the work place. So, what we are required to do is implement policies, measures, procedures and programs to ensure the safety of everyone in the St Paul’s community when at church. What we have already done is produce a document explaining what you need to know about work place violence and harassment. This document is available in the church office. We have taken the necessary three policies to Council for approval and also sent them to Presbytery. The policies are available in the church office for perusal. In the next twelve months we will be implementing the policies in the church (i.e. training for all ministry personnel and staff on the policies, completing all safety and security risk factors specific to our church, plus many other prescribed tasks).

4. Ministry of Labour training for our employees on safety and health issues in the work place. All employees completed the training by November 17th, 2014.

Training Workshop

A training workshop has been planned on Violence and Harassment in the Work Place. The workshop for employees and interested congregants will take place at St. Paul’s on Saturday, January 31st 2015, and will take from 2 to 2 ½ hours to complete. Anyone interested in taking the workshop should contact Tina in the church office.

Neil Robb

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Katie (6)

“I don’t know who

the angel is but I l

ike

Jesus” John

(7)

"ʺGabriel

was this

kind of

angel. He

was a bo

y but

he'ʹs play

ed by a g

irl in

Christm

as plays

."ʺ

Kim (6) “The Angel Gabriel is a big white fairy. He helped Mary and Joseph to look after the baby -‐‑ kind of

like a doctor."ʺ

Zoe (6)

"ʺThere was also an angel

called Gabriel, whose

favourite thing was to fly

around all day."ʺ

Peter (7) "ʺAngel Gabriel was also there

and he has yellow wings and

a white costume. He doesn'ʹt say much."ʺ

Children Say the Funniest Things About Christmas!

When asked about the Archangel Gabriel…

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Mission and Outreach Holiday Program It is that time of year when the Mission and Outreach Ministry turns its attention to the needs of the community. We support two initiatives: Christmas Boxes for the Shelter and Caring and Sharing, which the Ministry has been doing for over 20 years.

Christmas Boxes for Shelter: This year we plan to fill 25 boxes for women and 65 for men who would normally be in a shelter on Christmas morning. These boxes are filled with basic winter items like hats, gloves, mittens, socks; everyday items like lotion, toothbrushes, combs, books, and some Christmas cheer like chocolates and candy. Boxes are wrapped and blessed by Pastor Choe before they are delivered in time for the Christmas Holidays.

Caring and Sharing Program: This year we will be sponsoring 14 families that are provided to us by the Children’s Aid Society. Seven of these families are already adopted by individual families or organizations of committee members, and the congregation will be supporting the remaining 7 families. Most of the families we are sponsoring this year are single families with a mother caring for two or three children. Through this program, the families are provided with gifts, a treat basket, food vouchers and for the children, we treat them to fun items in their own stocking.

We are blessed that we are able to sponsor these families and bring a bit of cheer to them during the holiday season. Special thanks to our congregation for their generosity and continued support.

Happy Holidays!

Molly Ramnarine

We Need You! We are looking for some people who may be interested in being a Presbytery representative along with Mary Sarginson and there are currently two vacancies for Ministry chairs. Please speak to any of the Council members or David Hymers if you are interested in participating on a Ministry.

Environmental Ministry – Vacant

Children, Youth, and Family Ministry – Vacant

“Have the passion, take the action, and magic will happen!”

~ Bar Rafaeli

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What’s Happening! St. Paul’s Men’s Breakfast Club

Did you know that the Men’s Breakfast Club was founded in 1970? That’s almost 44 years of continual existence in providing interesting and topical speakers, food and fellowship to not only the men of St. Paul’s, but to the wider community. And now, we are regularly including the women of St. Paul’s when we are having a speaker with universal appeal. Most recently, Larry Sherk, archivist, presented “100 Years of Gardening in Canada” -‐‑ the story of the history of Sheridan Nurseries. Last spring, Jim Balmer, Wealth Management Advisor with Scotia McLeod, showed us a wonderful floral presentation of his tours of English country gardens, and earlier last year, a combined audience was thrilled to learn the story of Eduard Klassen and hear his playing mastery of the Paraguayan Harp, complete with music which was familiar to us all.

We have had a wide and interesting assortment of speakers over the past few years, including former Mayor Susan Fennell updating us on what was happening in Brampton; Brant Wilson reminiscing about his relationship with A.Y. Jackson, one of the famous Canadian artists with the Group of Seven; Scott Goodison on reasons for high car insurance rates in Brampton; John Scheel, author of a statistical book on Government Waste and Mismanagement; Michael Avis on the need to preserve heritage in Brampton; John Romanetti, a consultant to Birnie Electric telling us about what we should know and do about electrical safety in our homes (lots of surprises); authors David Cook (Fading History in Brampton/Mississauga) and Bruce Woods (Books as Theatre); Darcy Rector, a former owner of Rector Foods Limited, a spice company outlining government controls and regulations for meat products for safety; Peter van Sickle, President of BDDC (Brampton Downtown Development Corporation) talking about plans for promoting the retail health of downtown; Doug Rogers, who has a fascinating hobby of building and flying model airplanes, showing us a variety of his models – one had a wing span of 8 feet! – and our list could go on.

Coming up for model railroad enthusiasts in February next year is Herb Hall of Peel County “N”gineers, a model railway club with travelling models.

And, of course it’s not only the speaker that keeps bringing people out on a Saturday morning at 8 am – but it’s also the camaraderie, the fellowship, and the scrumptious breakfasts and egg dishes prepared by our Master Chef, Bill Parry and his helpers Doug Rogers and Merv Scott.

Suggestions for topics and speakers are always welcome! But, so are you. Join the regulars (about 35) who come faithfully the first Saturday of the month – October to December, February to May.

Next Event – “Breakfast with Santa” at Applebee’s, Saturday, November 29th between 8 am and 10 am. See you there!

Doug Bryden -‐‑ President

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An Interview with Rev. Richard C. Choe Part 2 of 3

Q: What attracted you to St. Paul’s?

A: Someone in the denominational office asked a long time ago if I had thought about coming. I said no! Then I started to extensively research it. I looked at all the church documents. My head said no, but my heart was starting to say yes. There was a sense of call. I looked at the strengths of St. Paul’s and compared them to my possible strengths and weaknesses. I felt my strengths based on previous experiences would be able to undergird the congregation and vice versa. This church has a long history and people with life-‐‑long commitment. My friends laughed at me. They would ask me, “Why are you leaving something that is going so well?”

I felt it was a good match.

Q: What is your vision for St. Paul’s?

A: First, I want to try my best to restore the health of St. Paul’s, not to go back to the good old days, but to move forward into a new future. I want St. Paul’s to be a congregation that serves. I see this as a place that has the potential to invite people of different cultures and faiths to share their ideas. I want welcome to be practiced and for us to be welcomed by people of other faiths. We could pack this sanctuary. It is not about numbers exclusively though. We need to have a passion for community. St. Paul’s could be the center for a welcoming place in Brampton.

Q: In your opinion, what makes a church community successful? What fosters church growth?

A: By tapping into our passion; into the kind of life we want for ourselves. Relationship is key. We need to get along and enjoy each other’s company if we want to evangelize. We need to enjoy and appreciate what we have and do here. Having a new minister gives the opportunity and a legitimate reason to reconfigure relationships. Disagreements between people make it difficult for new comers to feel a warm welcome. We need uplifting services and celebration. That makes people want to be a part of a community.

Continued on Page 10

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Q: How do you make the worship experience relevant to a multi-‐‑generational congregation?

A: It is important to value life experiences of old and young alike and to seek wisdom from different generations and ages. Some people say, “We have to get young families into the church”, but it is not just about young people and young families. We need a variety of ages to make a congregation. It is good to tell stories from different faith traditions and about people with a different place in life.

Ministry and liturgy can have a sense of beauty. People need to feel that. If it feels like something is missing, that church is dry and routine, it discourages people from coming – so boring. Study and story telling helps me say something that is meaningful. The final product that you share has to be something that everybody can understand. It can’t all be cerebral. It has to be from the heart.

How each person takes a message is by God’s grace; I don’t control the outcome. Preaching means providing different ways of looking at things. Society tries to control what we hear, how we think, but in church we can provide different ways of looking at things. It is an offering – here are other ways of looking at this. Jesus did this by sharing parables and stories. My job is to help people look at things and they can choose.

Congratulations! Longtime Church member Suzanne Richie married Jim Raymond on October 4th, 2014 at St. Paul’s United Church. Best wishes to the happy couple!

The Starfish Story by Loren Eisley “While wandering a deserted beach at dawn, stagnant in my work, I saw a man in the distance bending and throwing as he walked the endless stretch toward me. As he came near, I could see that he was throwing starfish, abandoned on the sand by the tide, back into the sea. When he was close enough I asked him why he was working so hard at this strange task. He said that the sun would dry the starfish and they would die. I said to him that I thought he was foolish. There were thousands of starfish on miles and miles of beach. One man alone could never make a difference. He smiled as he picked up the next starfish. Hurling it far into the sea he said, ‘It makes a difference for this one.’ I abandoned my writing and spent the morning throwing starfish.”

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Making a Difference

In October, St. Paul’s received a request from AURA to sponsor a Syrian refugee. AURA is a Canadian charitable organization assisting in the sponsorship and resettlement of refugees. They represent the Anglican Diocese of Toronto and the Toronto Conference of the United Church of Canada as a Sponsorship Agreement Holder with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Currently, there is a young man who fled to Lebanon from his home in Syria because he was being persecuted for his religious beliefs. He has a brother in Brampton who approached AURA to assist him in obtaining refugee status for his brother in Canada.

It is hard for us to fathom. We live in a country where this kind of persecution does not exist. But it is a reality for this person and many others. We have been presented with an opportunity to help him.

Council requested an information session with AURA. Other local United Churches were asked to join us and we are currently working together to determine how we can each be involved in this sponsorship. Time is of the essence – we must commit to sponsorship as quickly as possible so the process can be started. It can take between 10 – 24 months to get a person safely into Canada, and this young man is in danger of being sent back to Syria because Lebanon is having trouble finding resources for the nearly 10,000 refugees in their country. If he is returned to Syria, he will face continued persecution and possible death because he is a Christian.

Council feels strongly that this is an important way for St. Paul’s to minister to those in need, and that we have the resources necessary to support sponsorship. There is a financial commitment of about $6,600 as well as helping him settle into Canadian life. The commitment is for one year and then it is expected that he will be self-‐‑sufficient. His brother is also promising him a home and financial support. You may ask, “Why doesn’t the brother just sponsor him?” The Canadian government is more apt to accept the request when AURA presents the application and a church community agrees to be the sponsor.

If you would like more information, please speak to Richard Choe or any of the Council members. You can find out more about AURA by visiting their website at www.auraforrefugees.org.


What does Christmas Mean to You? “Christmas is not only a time or a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Saviour and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.”

-‐‑ Calvin Coolidge (1872-‐‑1933), American President.

May you have the spirit of Christmas, which is PEACE, the gladness of Christmas, which is HOPE, and the heart of Christmas, which is LOVE.

St. Paul’s United Church 30 Main St. South

Brampton, ON, L6W 2C4

If you would prefer to receive your newsletter by email, please provide your e-‐‑mail address below and drop this slip into the offering plate, or notify the church office by e-‐‑mail at [email protected]

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But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of

David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a

manger.”

Luke 2: 8-‐‑12

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